Starting, growing, and scaling a business is impossible without the implementation of systems and processes. Systems and processes are key for organizing your business and executing offers.
Every entrepreneur needs systems and processes to start, grow, and scale their business. Systems and processes are the backup plans every business needs to have in place in order to survive and thrive.
Are you working so much that your evenings and weekends are consumed with business tasks? Are you frustrated because signing a client feels like climbing Mount Everest? What you need are systems and processes.
Top problems holding you back from growing and scaling your business
- Entrepreneurs are over-capacity, overwhelmed, and frustrated. They can’t hire someone because training them is too time intensive.
- Missing deadlines. Using paper isn’t effective because your notes are forgotten.
- Using more than one tool or one process in one tool and another process in another tool for the same project, i.e. social media.
The goal of systems and processes for your business is to simplify and save you from having to be in your business all of the time.
The disadvantages of not having systems and processes in place and being dis-organized in your business are:
- Sacrificing time with family and/or friends.
- Not being present outside of your business.
- You can’t scale because you are stuck in a vicious circle of to-dos.
What systems and processes should you prioritize first in your business?
Systematizing your business begins with organizing and creating processes for your offers. Automate as much as possible.
- Onboarding clients from the point of a discovery call to signing them. If you give your clients a stellar experience, they will refer you. But, if you are all over the place you may overwhelm and frustrate them. This includes invoicing and providing all follow-ups in a timely manner.
- Offboarding should also have a process in place. Ensure your clients have a pleasant experience so that their last memories are pleasant, not those of frustration.
If you do not want to have a project management tool, at least use a paper calendar with an electronic calendar as a backup.
The more you can automate in your business the less you will feel overwhelmed and like you are spinning in circles.
The types of tools you can use to create systems and processes in your business.
CRM – client relationship management – Dubsado, Seventeen Hats, Honeybook, etc.
PM – project management – ClickUp, Asana, Monday, Trello, etc.
It is best to have both a CRM and a PM. A CRM will automate your email list, your onboarding, and offboarding, your schedule, etc. The PM tool is for the things that you are actually being paid for and the things you do in your business.
There are some systems that have both CRMs and PMs under one umbrella.
The first processes you should establish in your business are:
- Day to Day tasks – anything that is recurring. Set up reminders and an SOP (standard operating procedure) for each task. Then you can audit yourself and use the audit to hire someone else for certain tasks. This will allow the person you hire to basically train themself.
- Marketing – how do you want your marketing to look and what do you want to do? Think about the steps it takes to complete a task and document them. For example, graphic design, scheduling out content, etc.
Advice from Kaci on choosing and setting up your systems and processes
Start your systems and processes upfront.
You need to know your processes before you can hire someone to support you with your systems and processes.
It’s not the tool that is important, it is the tool that you are going to use that is important.
Learn more about ClickUp
E-myth Revisited by Michael Gerber: Kindle and Paperback.
About Kaci Ackerman
Kaci went from dental office manager to being furloughed due to covid to running a six-figure business in less than two years. She is a certified business manager and ClickUp expert. Kaci transforms freelancers into CEOs with strategy, planning, and systems building so they can be confident in the back end of their business. Her mission is to meet business owners where they are in their business and serve them.
Kaci’s motto is “systems are the lifeblood of your business. Without them, scaling is not possible.”
Learn more about Kaci and connect with her:
Additional resources on systems and processes
Download the eBook, How to build a solid foundation for long-term brand and business success in which Robyn talks about systems, creating a personal brand, brand marketing strategy, and more.
Listen to or read the blog post for episode 77
Listen to or read the blog post for episode 128
